7/16/15

Rhythm Syllable Systems

Patty Haman
16 July 2015

Origins
  French Time-Names, early 19th Century

  Pierre Galin, French Mathematician

  “We should not recommend teaching a child to speak by means
of reading, or place a book before him to show how to
pronounce words. Yet this is what is done in music teaching: the
child is required to perform from written notes; he is made to
read before he knows how to sol-fa, that is, before he can speak.
…”(1818)
  Used words’ syllables to match notes.

Sound Before Sight

  Rhythm syllable systems
  Provide a way to experience rhythms
  Facilitate the comprehension and retention of patterns in audiation
(hearing/comprehending in one’s mind the sound of music that
isn’t or may have never been physically present) – Gordon

  Characteristics
  Based on how rhythm is audiated, not notated
  Some exceptions exist – we’ll talk about it.
  Each sound associated with unique rhythm element
  Comprehensive for as many meters and rhythms as possible
  Not all systems are equally flexible
  Conducive to performing many rhythm patterns

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Some Misconceptions
  Rhythm Syllable Systems are just for young kids, secondary
teachers don’t need to know or use them.

  If kids are going to end up counting in secondary ensembles,

why not start with counting?

  All systems work the same way.

Syllable System Menu

Words Original Functional/
System Name Syllables Beat Other
[French Time Names] – x French words assigned to
early 19th C. notes
[Luther Whiting Mason] – x * *Vowels change for strong/
1880s weak beat
Dalcroze (Eurhythmics) – * *Movement and words
1900s (run-ning)
Counting (1e&a) - 1940s x Syllables assigned to
subdivisions (doesn’t adjust
perfectly with meter)
Kodály (Curwen) – 1960s x Syllables assigned to notes
Orff – 1960s x Use in conjunction with
other systems.
Froseth/Gordon – 1980s x x Adjusts with meter
Takadimi – 1990s x x Adjusts with meter

Consider this
  Syllables are not the entire solution to the problem of teaching
rhythm
  Sequence & scope provide context
  Heavily emphasized by Kodály approach, also Conversational Solfege

  Mathematical skills required may be beyond young students

  Fractions and time signatures are confusing.
  Beat vs. rhythm (beats must be understood FIRST)

  Functional Systems vs. Notation Specific Syllables

  Functional: Distinguish beats and subdivisions, provide context
  Notation specific: Identify notation
  Complex meters and rhythms, as well as tempo

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You Say, I Say

Mason Ta Ta Te-fe Te
Counting 1 2 3+ 4
Kodály Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta
Orff Will You Be my Friend?
Dalcroze Walk Walk Run-ning Walk
Froseth/ Du Du Du-de Du
Gordon
Takadimi Ta Ta Ta-di Ta

One System To Rule Them All?

  Palmer, 1976

  Compared Kodály vs. Gordon syllables

  Concluded that students could have fun in music class even

while learning music notation
  (gains made for both treatment groups, slightly better with
Gordon, but not statistically significantly better)

Takadimi Proponents:
  Rhythm Syllable systems should
  Lead to accuracy and musicality in performance
  Provide understanding of rhythmic structure
  Facilitate aural identification of rhythmic patterns
  Use precise and consistent language
  Address non-traditional issues (multi-meter, modulation of meter/
tempo, complex syncopation, complex tuplet beat groupings)

Takadimi (and Gordon, for that mattern) transitions well to

counting: substitute beat numbers for initial attack (Ta or Du)

  Developed as a Music Theory Pedagogical tool, not an elementary

music tool (suitable for older students)

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Consistency is One Key

  Literature suggests the use of a system consistently is the key
  Young students’ brains are fairly agile, however

  Consistency in K-12 setting

  “Starting From Scratch”
  Being conscious of the transfer of prior knowledge
  Elementary music transition to counting
  Middle school (and high school) aid transition by looking backward
  Tools for solving sight-reading problems

Audiation and dictation exercises for all ages

Sequence Resources

Echo Me…
1. Kodály

2. Gordon

3. Takadimi

$ q y n q]
$h m q]
Pq ej \§j ]

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Western Rhythm Syllable

Systems
Historical and Background Information

Luther Whiting Mason

  1880s
  Student of Lowell Mason, Pestalozzian ideas
  Adapted French Time-Names system for US and Japan
  Unit is the measure, rather than the pulse
  Features
  Original syllables (not words)
  Vowel changes in second half of measure (downbeat)
  Ta ta te te
  Ta-fa-ta-fa te-fe-te-fe

  Lowell Mason
  Adaptation features syllable assigned to beat: “ta”

Counting
  1e&a System (McHose/Tibbs system; Eastman System)
  Modified by Eastman Professors Allen McHose and Ruth Tibbs
  1940s
  Feel the strong beats within the context of counting
  Simple vs. compound meter
  1-te, 2-te…
  1-ta-te-ta, 2-ta-te-ta
  1-la-lee, 2-la-lee
  Gordon’s first method was similar (Tometics)
  1-ne, 2-ne
  1-na-ni, 2-na-ni

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Kodály
  1960s, from Hungarian Music Education model in Hungary
(named for creator, Zoltán Kodály)

Kodály viewed rhythm as an outgrowth of movement and

dance and flow of spoken language.
  “one of the most important tasks of rhythmic education is the
systematic preparation of children for comprensive music
reading.”

  Syllables assigned to rhythmic symbols

  Ta, ti-ti, tiri-tiri (or tika tika), etc.

Dalcroze
  Emile Jacques Dalcroze
  Method began as early as early 1900s

  Eurhythmics, Solfege, Improvisation

  No prescribed syllables
  Improvised rhythm syllables
  Greek Rhythm Modes

  May be used in conjunction with syllables, reinforce and

enhance.
  Emphasis on movement and timing, lots of games and improv.
  rhythm not merely the next note that follows

Orff-Schulwerk
  Carl Orff
  Began teaching ideas in 1932
  Method gained recognition in the 1960s

  Sound before sight continues

  Speech patterns take precedence
  Associate words and syllabic divisions in speech patterns

  Use with familiar poems, rhymes, texts or created by teacher/

student

  Often combined with Kodály (or other) syllable systems, but not
prescribed by the method.

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Froseth/Gordon
  James Froseth and Albert Blaser, 1970s
  Beat-based system
  Beat: “du” regardless of subdivision of the beat
  Different syllables for different subdivisions

  Edwin Gordon adopted duple meter “du-de” and triple meter “du-
da-di” in the 1980s

  Conversational Solfege (Feierabend) also makes use of these

syllables.
  Singing sounds more appealing
  12-step program for music literacy

Takadimi
  1990s, Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, John White (Ithaca
College)

  Named for an Indian Rhythm system, but designed for

Western Tonal Rhythm (European/US music)

  Created by Music Theorists

  Based on research, learning theories and best practice

  Beat-oriented (functional) syllable system

  Syllables assigned to beats and beat subdivisions
  Transfers regardless of meter

References (1 of 2)
Bebeau, M. J. (1982). Effects of traditional and simplified methods of rhythm-reading

instruction. Journal of Research in Music Education, 30(2), 107-119. 

Brittin, R. V. (2001). Middle School Instrumentalists' Perceptions of Counting

Systems. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 12-18.

Cha, J. W. (2014). The Takadimi system reconsidered: Its psychological foundations and

some proposals for improvement. Psychology of Music, 0305735614528063.

Dalby, B. (2005). Toward an effective pedagogy for teaching rhythm: Gordon and

beyond. Music Educators Journal, 54-60.

Ester, D. P., Scheib, J. W., & Inks, K. J. (2006). Takadimi: A Rhythm System for All

Ages. Music Educators Journal, 93(2), 60.

Goodkin, D. (2001). Orff-Schulwerk in the New Millennium. Music Educators

Journal, 88(3), 17-23.

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References (2 of 2)
Johnson, M. D. (1993). Dalcroze Skills for All Teachers. Music Educators Journal, 79(8), 42-45.
Mead, V. H. (1996). More than mere movement dalcroze eurhythmics. Music Educators

Journal, 38-41.

Palkki, J. (2010). Rhythm syllable pedagogy: A historical journey to Takadimi via the Kodály

method. Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy 12(

Palmer, M. (1976). Relative effectiveness of two approaches to rhythm reading for fourth-

grade students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 24(3), 110-118.

Persellin, D. C. (1992). Responses to rhythm patterns when presented to children through

auditory, visual, and kinesthetic modalities. Journal of Research in Music Education, 40(4),

306-315.

Shamrock, B. M. (1997). ORFF-SCHULWERK. Music Educators Journal,83(6), 41-44.

Thresher, J. M. (1964). The contributions of Carl Orff to elementary music education. Music

Educators Journal, 43-48.

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